Violinist&#39;s practice device.



K. A. BECKER. VIOLINIS'IS PRACTICE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8.19!!- 1,275,202. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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"UNITED srArEs PATENT OFFICE. j

xnnnn. nncxnaor Los anonnns, CALIFORNIA.

VIOLINISTS PRACTICE DEVICE;

Toall whomit may concern: H 1

, Be it known that I, KARL A. BECKER, a citizen of Switzerland, having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United. States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Violinists Practice Device, of which the following is --a specification. V This invention relates to devices of the character designed to aid violin students in learning to properly holdthe violin and to properly manipulate thebow thereof.

An object of the invention is to produce a'device in which the position and manipulation of the bow may be caused to exactly correspond with the correct position and manipulation, thereof in the playing of a violin.

Another object is to afford means for the strengthening of the muscles ofthe fingers.

' used in stopping.

Another object to make provision for 'both a positive guiding and a non-positive 2 5 guiding of the bow. By positive guiding t is meant the constraining of the bow on three sides during the bowing operation, and by H V V inserted between the bottoms of the recesses non-positive guiding is meant the constraining of the v bow on two sides only during the bowing operation. When the bow is constrained on but two sides, if it be not" bowing but reveals that the mistake is made.

, 'Otherobjects and advantages will appear in the subj oined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention.

' positions.

Fig. 2 is aplan view of ig. 1, omitting th bow.

being shown in section in one of its bowing Fig. 4: 1s a sectional elevation on line indi-- catedby w'm,"Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on linem a dicated by :vwf, Fig.3,

j Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on 1 line indicated by w -wF, Fig. 2, the bow also Specification of LettersPatent. v Patented A g; 13 Application filed October 8,1917; 'Seria1No'a195,25 0. a

i Fig. 6 is a fragmental sectional detail of the bow guide, bow, and a fragment of the body, said'bow guide and bow'being differently positioned than in F 3.

' a head 3 joined to said body by the neck.

The neck and head 2, 3 are of the same shape as the neck and head of the usual violin. At the end ofthe body 1' opposite its connection with the neck 2 is a chin rest 4 formed, in the instance shown, by aflat member extending substantially at right angles from the body. The chin rest sis provided along its upper end at the outer end thereof with an upwardly extending. rounded shoulder 5 adapted to fit against the left-hand side of the jaw of the'violin student using the device. The chin rest 4 together with its shoulder 5 thus forms a guide'whereby correct positioning of the inner end of the in strument is insured.

The neck 2 may,'if desired, be provided with recesses 6 inwhich are seated cylinders 7 containing plungers 8, said plungers norouter ends 9 of the cylinders by springs 10 and said plungers. The plungers 8 are sufficiently long to obtain good bearing in the cylinders so as. to work smoothly. The ends 9 of the cylinders' are provided with perforations 11 through which extend stems 12 connected to the plungers 8, the outer ends of said stems being provided with knobs 13. Thus the plungers 8, stems 12 and knobs 13 together constitute yieldingly mounted keys. There are preferably fourkeys', one for each of the four fingersof the left hand of the violin student using the device. When the device is in use, it is clear that the operation .of' the keys against the pressure of the springs 10 will develop the muscles of the 'fingers used in'stopping when playing a violin. These keys are so arranged that they represent certain playing positions of the fingers of'the left hand so that in effect they form guides for said fingers for the correct positioning'of the fingers to obtain certain notes from a violin.

Mounted on the body 1 is a bow guide indicated in general at 14 and provided in its 'upper'portion with; a slot 15 extending transversely of the body, the slot being formed between side walls 16 ofthe guide. The bottom of the slot 15 may be convex from-end to end as shown at 17 in Fig. 4, the curvature substantially corresponding to that of the bridge of a violin so that certain points on the slot bottom 17 will exactlycorre'spond to the various positions of the strings of a --violin'relative to "the chin and left hand :of

the student using the instrument,.and this is insured by the fact that the bottom '17 of theslot is above the level of the upper face of the body.

The slot'15 is adapted to receive a how 18 which may be infthe form of a flat rod or stick slightly thinner than the'width of the slot so that the how can be freely moved endwise in the slot without binding when it is moved parallel to the side walls 16.- I It is clearthat if the bow is not moved endwise in exact parallelism with the wall 16 friction will arise between said bow and side walls so that the bow can only be moved with difficulty. Preferably a thumb notch 19 is provided in one edgenear one end'of the bow.

Preferably there projects a should'er'20 from that side of-the bow guide 14: turned toward the head 3, and the upper edge 21 -of -sa-id shoulder is preferably convex transversely of the body 1 similar to theb'ottom 7 of the slot 15. Preferably also the edge 21 of the shoulder slopes downward and outward, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The 'bow guide would "be useful, even though stationarily mounted on the body 1,

'but iniorder that desirable adjustments of" the bow guide may be made,-the bodymay be provided with a slot 22 extending lengthwise of the body, and a clamping screw 23 extends through said slotand is screwthreaded into the bow guide 14. On the screw '23 is a washer 24 adapted to be pressed into engagement with the under face of the body 1 by a thumb nut 25 on the .outer end of the screw 23. Theslot 22 is prefer- ;In;pr'actical use-the violin student will place the instrument-in position withthe upper edge ofthe chin rest 1 beneath-the chin and the shoulder 5 thereof against" the left-hand side of his jaw and he will grasp the neck 2 in the left hand, placing the ends of the fingers on the keys. :Assuming that the bow guide 14: is a in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, he will grasp the bow'with the right-hand, placing his thumb in the notch 19,an'dhe will smovelthe' bow endwise inthe slot 15and will manipulate the bow in the manner customary in playing a violin.

Whenthestudenthas acquired facility in bowing in the slot 15 and can move the bow eendwisewith perfect freedom so that no binding of the bow in the slot occurs, the thumb-screw 25 will be loosened and the bow guide l lshifted to the position shown inFigJG. The student will then place the bow on the shoulder 20 and manipulate the bow as before. "It is noted that iniithis last bowingposition, if the bow benot operated substantially; parallel to the wall 16 thebow cannot be held on the shoulder 20. it; is

also noted that owing to the slanting edge .of the shoulder, it is necessary for the student to constantly press the bow toward the wall 16 so as to prevent it 'slidingdown'the inclined edge and off of 'the shoulder.

Thus it is clear; thatwhen the bow is in the slot 15 it will'be positively guided by the walls 16, and that when the -bow rests on the shoulder 20 it will be non-positively guided, that is to say, as long as 'it is moved correctly-it will stay on'the shoulder but when it slipsfrom the shoulder such slipping will indicate to the student that he is not moving the bow correctly.

,I claim:

1." A violinists practice device comprising a body, a neck connected with said body,

, a bow guide proj ectingv up from the body and provided with a slot extending transversely ,ofvthe body, the bottom of the'slot being above'l-the level joflthe npper face of 'the body andbeing .curved'likeithe' upper edge of a violin; bridge, and abowi fitted to I work in said fslot.

1' 2. A violinists. practice. device comprising a body, a neck connected with said body,

and a member .projectingup' fromithe body and provided with afshoulder. on onefside adapted to support a bow.

3. LA violinists practice device comprising 'abody, avneck connected with said body, 1 a bow, guide project-ingup' fromtheibody and shiftably. mounted' thereon, and. curved like the ,upper'edge :"of a vionn bridge,ineans v to holdlthe bow guide against's'hifting, and

a bow fitted to work inthe' bow guide.

4 A violinists practice device. comprising a body, a neck connected withsa'id body,

' a member projecting up from 'theib'ody and shiftably mounted thereon and provided,

with a slotand, with a shoulder, and means to holdlthe bow guide. in different positions along-the body so that a bow. can .beused 1n the slot or on the shoulder when the: slot and. shoulderoccupythe. same positions rela- 'tive to the violinists'. shoulder. as. he auses the I device. i

5. A violinistsrpractice edevice ;c,omprising a body, a neck connected with said body,

bow, a guide on the body for the bow, and downward and outward and said shoulder yieldingly mounted keys in the neck for the being adapted tosupport a bow. v 10 stopping fingers of the student. Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 6. A violinists practice device comprising 1st day of October, 1917. 5 a. body, a neck connected with said body, and KARL A. BECKER.

a member projecting from the body and Witnesses: having a shoulder on one side thereof, the GEORGE H. HILEs, upper edge of said shoulder being a slant L. BELLE WEAVER.

Oopiea of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01 Patent. Wuhingtol, D. 6. 

